Blooms of Doom
Is chivalry dead? As a hopeful romantic, I hope not! The local radio station posed a question. Are flowers on the first date too over the top? Some callers said it's okay if you already know each other. The female DJs thought it was a sweet gesture. But one girl advised as a first meet-up, it could set off alarms. What about signs of being a pure gentleman? Does that exist in this day and age?
In my romantic spy mystery, Behind Frenemy Lines, agent Lee Clancy may be a dying breed. Maybe it's his Texas roots or that Swiss Boarding school he brags about, but he knows how to treat a gal. And it's something his spy partner, Galaxy O'Jordan, finds attractive.
Usually a fella with flowers wouldn't faze me one bit, although one time it did scare me off. But it wasn't really the petals that had me pedaling away in a panic.
In the 80s, when I was nineteen, I worked at a Navy electronics school. It was a "sea of eye candy" for my friend and I, two gals under twenty. One day, I finally agreed to go out with one guy, J, after he badgered me for weeks. I could tell by his daily comments how eager he was, which was sweet. But by the time the day approached, my stomach was twisted in knots.
I'm not a mean person and I would never just stand someone up. I'm usually trampled on for being too nice. In the days before cell phones and social media messaging, I didn't have his barrack's phone number to preempt what was about to happen.
At the appointed time, I met J in front of the school. It's not easy to let someone down, especially when they're wielding red roses!
Gulp...
I started to say what my courage was trying to muster but then J excitedly produced his class ring and whipped out a Lionel Richie tape.
Fleeing filled my head! Quick, close the door and screech off into the sunset!
The overkill was killing me and he hadn't even stepped into my car yet, Funny how your gut is like a magic eight ball. I eyed the ring with dismay, I wasn't looking forward to being maimed by another hunk of metal. The thrill was short-lived when my former boyfriend B gave me his. It was heavy and too big so I wore it around my neck. It felt like a wrecking ball every time I moved. The best part about taking a break was giving it back. Now, with J kneeling at my car door bearing gifts, I had to rip off the band-aid before anything else got out of hand.
"I'm sorry, You seem like a nice guy but I can't do this."
His face fell but he appreciated my honesty and insisted I keep the roses and cassette. I felt bad for hurting his feelings and for not carrying out a commitment, which was so unlike me. I feel guilty for ignoring innocent flowers, too. I did put them in a vase of water, though, but I just wasn't excited about their presence. At least my mom enjoyed them.
Thinking back, should I have seen the date through? It might have been fun, despite the hyper wrapper it came in. Maybe I was an idiot who just ditched her Prince Charming. Who knows, he could've turned out to be the only guy to treat me like a constant princess. But I do think our instincts are there for a reason, so I won't apologize for that.
I still have the Lionel Richie tape and I do hope J found the girl who deserved his devotion. We should all be so lucky. And if he happens to read this, I am truly sorry for bailing.
What would you do? Would flowers on a first date send you fleeing or would you savor the scent?
In my romantic spy mystery, Behind Frenemy Lines, agent Lee Clancy may be a dying breed. Maybe it's his Texas roots or that Swiss Boarding school he brags about, but he knows how to treat a gal. And it's something his spy partner, Galaxy O'Jordan, finds attractive.
Usually a fella with flowers wouldn't faze me one bit, although one time it did scare me off. But it wasn't really the petals that had me pedaling away in a panic.
In the 80s, when I was nineteen, I worked at a Navy electronics school. It was a "sea of eye candy" for my friend and I, two gals under twenty. One day, I finally agreed to go out with one guy, J, after he badgered me for weeks. I could tell by his daily comments how eager he was, which was sweet. But by the time the day approached, my stomach was twisted in knots.
I'm not a mean person and I would never just stand someone up. I'm usually trampled on for being too nice. In the days before cell phones and social media messaging, I didn't have his barrack's phone number to preempt what was about to happen.
At the appointed time, I met J in front of the school. It's not easy to let someone down, especially when they're wielding red roses!
Gulp...
I started to say what my courage was trying to muster but then J excitedly produced his class ring and whipped out a Lionel Richie tape.
Fleeing filled my head! Quick, close the door and screech off into the sunset!
The overkill was killing me and he hadn't even stepped into my car yet, Funny how your gut is like a magic eight ball. I eyed the ring with dismay, I wasn't looking forward to being maimed by another hunk of metal. The thrill was short-lived when my former boyfriend B gave me his. It was heavy and too big so I wore it around my neck. It felt like a wrecking ball every time I moved. The best part about taking a break was giving it back. Now, with J kneeling at my car door bearing gifts, I had to rip off the band-aid before anything else got out of hand.
"I'm sorry, You seem like a nice guy but I can't do this."
His face fell but he appreciated my honesty and insisted I keep the roses and cassette. I felt bad for hurting his feelings and for not carrying out a commitment, which was so unlike me. I feel guilty for ignoring innocent flowers, too. I did put them in a vase of water, though, but I just wasn't excited about their presence. At least my mom enjoyed them.
Thinking back, should I have seen the date through? It might have been fun, despite the hyper wrapper it came in. Maybe I was an idiot who just ditched her Prince Charming. Who knows, he could've turned out to be the only guy to treat me like a constant princess. But I do think our instincts are there for a reason, so I won't apologize for that.
I still have the Lionel Richie tape and I do hope J found the girl who deserved his devotion. We should all be so lucky. And if he happens to read this, I am truly sorry for bailing.
What would you do? Would flowers on a first date send you fleeing or would you savor the scent?
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